1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of fabricating and composition for chalcogenide electrodes and, more particularly, to the fabrication of such electrodes using ionomeric binder materials.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There has been considerable interest in recent years in developing high energy density batteries or voltaic cells. Among the systems being investigated are those employing non-aqueous liquid, fused or solid electrolytes, with light-weight metals, such as alkali metals as anodes, and with cathodes containing metal chalcogenide compounds. Such systems are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,988,164; 3,925,098; 3,864,167; and 3,791,867.
Although significant developments have been made concerning the fabrication of cells such as those described above, one of the common problems that researches find in developing chalcogenide cathode systems is the manner in which the cathode-active material is contained within the cathode structure. For example, typically, the chalcogenide cathode-active materials are produced in particulate form and must be pelletized or chemically bound up to form a cathode structure configuration. A common technique which has been used to bind up the cathode-active material involves the use of Teflon as the principal or sole binding agent.
While the Teflon binding of chalcogenide cathode-active material is now an acceptable means of forming a cathode structure, it is, nonetheless, a cumbersome, multi-step procedure which involves substantial expenditure of labor. Thus, the present state of the art is lacking in a simple fabrication technique for producing chalcogenide cathode-active structures.